Li Lun, Lad of Courage (A Newbery Honor book)

Ten-year-old Li Lun lives in the Village of Three Firs on Blue Shark Island off the coast of China with his fisherman father Teng Lung, his mother Wang Lun, and his three younger brothers and baby sister. At age ten, Li Lun is supposed to make his first voyage on the fishing boat with his father. However, the boy is strangely afraid of sea water and refuses to go. His father slaps him, calls him a coward, and banishes him to the "Sorrow Mountain" or Lao Shan with seven grains of rice. As punishment, Li Lun must plant the rice and grow seven times as many grains as he was given. From the wise man Sun Ling he learns that it will take him four moon changes or 120 days to grow the rice. But Sun Ling also reminds him, "There are other things than fishing." Other boys of the village taunt Li Lun, but with his supplies, including a satchel of food prepared by his mother, he trudges up the mountain to brave the gulls, the rats, the wind, the rain, the sun, and his own loneliness. Will he succeed in his goal? Can Li Lun prove to be a lad of courage? This book won a Newbery Honor Award in 1948. There are references to traditional Chinese beliefs in "spirits," but in general the story illustrates not only courage but also love, respect, adventure, hardship, and perseverance. One "professional" reviewer called it a "Flat story that contains little drama or excitement," saying, "The boy's extraordinary accomplishment and sacrifice sounds understated to modern ears. It almost reads like child abuse." One may not appreciate the father's reaction, but children need to learn that life isn't always fair, and we must be careful not to judge all the practices of other cultures from the past, and the literature which records them, by our modern sensibilities. Li Lun, Lad of Courage, though it may have little excitement, at least to kids raised on Star Wars, still exhibits a good deal of drama, and is a wonderful look into life in old China. It would make a great fictional complement to a study of Chinese history.

Li Lun Lad of Courage /By Carolyn Treffinger.It was time for Li Lun to learn how to fish, but he was scared of the sea water. His father got mad, so he sent Li Lun to plant seven rice grains on top of Lao Shan the Sorrow Mountain for four moon changes. After four moon changes he came back with one rice plant. The gulls and the rats ate the six. The temple priests told the villagers of Li Lun's journey. This book is well written and the pictures are amazing. I recommend this book to seven-ten year olds, and especially to third graders. I love this book because it is fun to read.

Li Lun Lad of Courage is a book about a little boy who was sent to the top of a very tall mountain to grow rice because he was scared of the sea, and he shows that there are many of kinds of courage. I think it’s a good book. Sometimes you can get a little worried for the boy, for example, when the sea gulls and the rats start to eat his rice plants, or when a rain storm lasted for a month. But it shows how much courage one little boy can have. I would recommend this book because it’s interesting and it has a joyful ending to the book. I don’t like reading the first few chapters because I feel like the parents are a little cruel because they send their son to the top of a mountain to grow rice all by himself. But after I got through the first few chapters then it’s a really good book.

I read Li Lun Lad of Courage by Carolyn Treefinger. The book is about a boy who doesn’t go out to sea to fish with his father so he gets banished to a high mountain top. He tries to plant rice. I really like this book because there is a lot of action. I think that other people should read the book because it is a good book.Bryce- 9 years old

Li Lun: Lad of Courage by Carolyn Treffinger was a very interesting book! Li Lun is afraid of the sea. His father gets upset and calls him a coward. The boys in the village tease him, too. So his father sends him up to a big mountaintop with a small bag of food and a few rice seedlings. He has to grow rice there but no one has grown rice there in a long time. He can show that he has many kinds of courage!I like adventure books so I liked this book. If you like adventure books or if your child is studying about China, you might enjoy this book as well. (submitted by an 11 year old)

I think this is a good way to explain how a fishing community in China might live to your children (who live in the US). Also when I read this to my boys it helped them understand hard work and persistence. I feel that showing them hard working children in books can be a bit of a motivator and inspiration to a generation who seems to think a lot about themselves and getting things immediately.There are some issues I have with this book though. The main character is disobedient but he also doesn't have a very understanding father. There is a lack of communication between the two, and that is really sad. I find that the idea of a child traveling on his own to a mountain to do something for a few months without supervision when the main character is only about ten is really frightening too. Was the father just taunting and sending his son away to die? Also I feel there was no resolve between their relationship at the end even.My sons enjoyed this book a little more than I did. I'd give it more like 2.5 stars while they'd give it about 3.5. Therefore I averaged it out for this review.

Li Lun lad of courage By Carolyn TreffingerThere was a boy that didn’t want to go to sea because he was afraid of the water. His father made him go to a mountain with seven gains of rice and double them to help him find courage. Li Lun faced rats, seagulls, little water and rotten food. I think this story taught me to have better courage. I recommend this book because I think you will have better courage too. This reveiw was written by a ten-year old with parent permission.

A short but thoughtful story. My class have enjoyed it. Great that you advised me of the story in the first place and that it came so quickly.

I read LI LUN Lad of Courage by Carolyn Treffinger. I love how it was about adventure and survival. He had a goal to protect the rice and to prove he was not a coward. The book was very good. A perfect level for someone my age, around 10 years old. I would definitely recommend it.

Good book fast shipping!

Great book. Was delivered within the time frame that was stated.